The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on July 2 announced the first participants in the States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development (AHEAD) Model.
AHEAD is a voluntary, state-based alternative payment and service delivery model designed to curb health care cost growth, improve population health, and advance health equity by reducing disparities in health outcomes. The model will test the use of global budgets for hospitals and increased investments in primary care. Participating states will be held accountable for Medicare and all-payer cost growth, as well as population health and health equity outcomes.
Maryland and Vermont will participate in Cohort 1, which will begin in January 2026 after a one-year pre-implementation period. Connecticut will participate in Cohort 2, which will begin in January 2027 after a two-and-a-half-year pre-implementation period. Hawaii also will participate in Cohort 2, pending satisfaction of certain requirements. Each state can receive up to $12 million from CMS to support implementation during the first five and a half years of the model.
Cohort 3 will begin in 2027 after a two-year pre-implementation period. CMS will accept applications through Aug. 12, and plans to select up to eight states total to participate across all cohorts.
Contact Director of Policy Rob Nelb, MPH, at rnelb@essentialhospitals.org or 202.585.0127 with questions.
Author